FAQ About Nursing Magnet Journey | UC San Diego Medical Center

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FAQs About the Magnet Journey

What is Magnet?

Recognition of excellence in nursing care and professional nursing practice.
Supports nursing practice
1994: first facility awarded “Magnet”
2005: 192 organizations
2006: 231 organizations
2007: 275 in the application process
2008: April UCSD Medical Center submitted an application
Magnet organizations must demonstrate achievement of quality indicators and standards of nursing practice as defined in 14 different areas or “forces of magnetism”.
ANCC Magnet recognized organizations will serve as the fount of knowledge and expertise for the delivery of nursing care globally. They will be solidly grounded in core Magnet principles, flexible, and constantly striving for discovery and innovation. They will lead the reformation of health care; the discipline of nursing; and care of the patient, family, and community.
Magnet hospitals must meet stringent quantitative and qualitative standards that define the highest quality of nursing practice and patient care
The Magnet designation means that the hospital has created an environment that supports nursing practice and focuses on professional autonomy, decision making at the bedside, nursing involvement in determining the nursing work environment, professional education, career development and nursing leadership. This can only be accomplished with the support and participation of all the departments and employees in the hospital that place patient care first and foremost in the mission of their daily work

What are the “forces of magnetism”?

The 14 forces are the foundation of a good culture that promotes excellence in patient outcomes, recruitment & retention of nurses, and is grounded in the literature.
Characteristics that distinguish Magnet organizations from others have become known as the “Forces of Magnetism."
- Transformational Leadership
  - Quality of Nursing Leadership- Force #1
  - Management Style – Force #3
- Structural Empowerment
  - Organizational Structure – Force #2
  - Personnel Policies and Programs – Force #4
  - Community and the Healthcare Organization – Force #10
  - Image of Nursing – Force- #12
  - Professional Development – Force- #14
- Exemplary Professional Practice
  - Professional Models of Care Force- #5
  - Consultation and Resources Force- #8
  - Autonomy Force- #9
  - Nurses as Teachers Force -#11
  - Interdisciplinary Relationships- Force #13
- New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements
  - Quality Improvement – Force #7
- Empirical Quality Outcomes
  - Quality of Care- Force #6

What does a Magnet Culture look like?

In a good culture, staff would answer:

I am proud to tell people that I work for UCSD Medical Center
I would recommend UCSD to friends or family members who need care.
I would like to be working at UCSD three years from now.
I would stay at UCSD if offered a similar job elsewhere for slightly higher pay.
I would recommend UCSD MEDICAL CENTER as a good place to work.
Overall, I am a satisfied employee.
I have confidence that UCSD will be successful in the coming years
UCSD has high quality standards
I like the work I do
Overall I am satisfied with my compensation package
UCSD supports work-life balance
UCSD treats employees with respect
My department provides high quality care and service
I have confidence in the management team’s leadership
I have a strong belief in the UCSD Core Values and patient centered model of care
Our leaders aspire to Transformational Leadership which is Enlightened Leadership that inspires and motivates followers to a higher moral level

How will it affect patient outcomes?

Important to patients who want to go to the best hospitals
Appeals to physicians who want to work with excellent nurses
Builds a Unique relationship with patients
Appeal to interdisciplinary team members
Nursing excellence and evidence based practice leads to improved patient outcomes
Improved outcomes and unique relationships with patients leads to higher patient satisfaction

How will it affect my work environment?

Decision making at the bedside
Easier to recruit and retain nurses
Keeps the nursing staff more stable which supports full staffing requirements
Take a leadership role in the profession of nursing
Increase nursing satisfaction makes for a more pleasant and a satisfying place to work
Encourages quality care and professional practice
Promotes evidence based practice and interdisciplinary team practice.

What is Shared Governance?

Participation in decision-making
Nurses participate in decision making regarding patient care issues and hospital issues that will impact patient care and patient satisfaction.
Appropriate grievance resolution
The person I report to involves me in decision making that affects my work.
An organizational process that gives healthcare professionals control over their practice and extends their influence into administrative areas previously controlled only by managers

What is the UCSD Nursing Vision/ Philosophy and Model of Care and How does it relate to Magnet?

UCSD Nursing Vision: “UCSD Nursing: The Power of Nursing Excellence”
UCSD Nursing Philosophy: “At UCSD Medical Center we believe in the role of the professional nurse. This includes using a peer review process that will help maintain a high standard for the quality of care that we provide, understanding the privilege of having unique relationships with patients, being lifelong learners who use evidence to guide practice and being part of decision making processes. We believe the above tenets will ensure safe and high quality care for UCSD Medical Center patient and families.”

What are the tenets of Professional Nursing?

Life long learning
Participation in decision-making
Peer review
Unique relationship with patients
This supports magnet which is recognition of excellence in nursing care and professional practice.

How does magnet align with our bargaining unit and contract?

A collaborative, mentoring relationship is in alignment with excellence in nursing and positive patient outcomes.

What’s in it for us?

Doesn’t Magnet make more paperwork and why would we want more paperwork?

Magnet doesn’t make more paperwork; it reinforces the model of professional practice, it allows us to improve our practice by increasing nurses’ input through shared governance.
Magnet should not create more work, it should be inherent in the quality work we already do and in the basic reasons why most of us chose nursing as a profession

How can we improve quality and at the same time focus on the positives?

Life long learning
Peer review
Continuous improvement is the antidote for stagnation
Improving quality and improving outcomes is a positive in and of itself, as it can also mean going from good to better or better to best, it doesn’t have to be an improvement from a negative.
Setting high goals for quality means better patient outcomes, better patient satisfaction